Beauty and the Bees

A recap of Shanik Resaurant's recent fundraiser for pollinator protection.

On Sunday, November 17th, NCAP was fortunate enough
to be featured by Chef Meeru Dhalwala during a special event at Shanik
Restaurant in Seattle.

Meeru knows food, so she knows how important pollinators
are for preserving a sustainable food supply. That’s why she is as passionate
as we are about protecting them from pesticides.

During the five course, family-style Indian dinner that she and
her staff prepared, I shared my story about how I came to work at NCAP and why
this work is important to me. I spoke about our upcoming workshops to protect
pollinator habitat on farms, and our drive to advance the “Saving America’s
Pollinators Act” which would get rid of neonicotinoid pesticides. I was joined
by Corky Luster, ace beekeeper and owner of Ballard Bee Company, who talked
about what it’s like managing 135 bee hives around Seattle. I was also joined
by Sarah Bergmann, the founder of Pollinator Pathway, a cutting edge
conservation project that creates pollinator habitat in urban areas. Sarah
educated the crowd about the many different species of bees and how a
fragmented landscape presents problems for pollinators looking for food in the
form of native plants.

It was deeply heartening to be among such committed people, and to
learn of their wonderful efforts. It served as a reminder of just how effective
we can be when we bring our different perspectives and talents together for a
common cause. We can all do something to protect bees. Won’t you join us?